


Comfortable

by orphan_account



Category: usa swimming
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-09-19 02:42:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9414476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Conor walked into the showers later that day, flushed and cold with sweat from the workout. Nathan, of course, was already in there, scrubbing his hair with shampoo.





	

"Ryan, I'm serious, look at him." Conor grinned, standing in a line of guys that were practicing dives. "He's so cute." 

Ryan shrugged, murmuring quietly. 

"Not my type." He said. "Thanks for trying though."

"First of all, Michael Phelps is not a type." Ryan gave an unimpressed smirk. "And second, I wouldn't set you up with Nathan Adrian. He's mine."

"Oh yeah. Just because you guys were roommates during Rio doesn't mean your instantly his crush." Ryan complained. "An 'sides, it's been more than ten months. If he liked you, he would've asked you out by now."

"Fuck you." Conor teased. "I'm gonna ask him out."

"That's what you said ten months ago." Ryan argued. "Just do what I did."

"What, get so deep into the closet you can't come out and marry a model?" Conor sneered. "No thanks, I'm gay."

"I am too!" Complained Ryan. It was his turn to dive, but he was distracted with Conor. Coach yelled it him. 

"Sorry coach!"

Conor laughed, smirking. He looked over to Nathan, who was staring at him. Conor winked at him before putting his goggles back on and diving in.

 

Conor walked into the showers later that day, flushed and cold with sweat from the workout. Nathan, of course, was already in there, scrubbing his hair with shampoo.

"Hey." Smiled Conor as he walked in, relived that Nathan was still wearing his swim suit. He wouldn't want to get hard before he asked Nathan out on a date.

"Hey." Nathan smiled back, opening his eyes to see Conor, then closing them to avoid the shampoo. "How are you?"

"I'm tired." Shrugged Conor. "Workout was hard."

"Are you too tired to go out?" Nathan asked with a smirk. "Because I was wondering if you'd like to go to a movie with me. That is, if your not too tired." 

Conor was blown away. Not in a million, no, a billon years could he imagine Nathan ever liking him. He was just Conor Dwyer. Just another swimmer on the national scale that was more like a competitor than a crush.

But yet, here he was, standing almost directly under a change room shower, the man of his dreams asking him to a movie.

Conor must've been thinking too long, because Nathan gave him a confused look. 

"Oh, sorry, I thought you might be gay." Shrugged Nathan. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." 

"Oh, no." Conor says without thinking, moving to stand under the spray. "I didn't mean it that way. I was just surprised." 

"Surprised?" Nathan echoed with a grin. 

"Yeah." Conor said. "But anyway, I would love to go out with you." 

"Alright." Nathan's answer was fast, prompt. "I'll pick you up at 8."

Once again, Conor couldn't believe his luck. He watched as Nathan walked away, goggles and cap clasped in his huge hand.

 

"Holy shit, Tony, I did it." Nathan gasped as he went into Tony's car. They roomed together, since Tony wasn't always training in the area. Tony normally drove them home. "I asked Conor out." 

Tony was smiling, tattoo sleeves peeking out of his t-shirt. "What did he say?"

"Yes, obviously. I'm picking him up at 8." Nathan said, matter of factly. 

He too, couldn't believe his luck. Only about ten months ago he and Conor were just friends. That was before they exchanged handjobs on the last day of racing, breaking the rule of sharing beds. If there was a rule about broken promises at the Olympics, then Nathan and Conor broke that one too. 

But now, here he was, dressing up in a American Eagle t-shirt, his fancy suit jacket over it and jeans on under that. He asked Tony if he looked okay before walking back into his car, his hair damp from his shower.

The air outside was humid and warm, seeping into his clothing and making him turn up the air conditioning in his car. California was bright and vibrant at the beginning of June, palm trees sprouting huge blanketing leaves. The beach was lacking people, only the turquoise ocean lapping up against the sides of the soaked sand that gave it character. It was about 7:53 when Nathan pulled up to Conor's house, checking the time twice before walking up the stairs to knock on his front door.

A few crashes sounded from inside the house, then pounding footsteps and the clicking of a lock. Conor opened up the door, grinning visibly, fixing his hair. He wore a simple, short sleeved button up, some tight black jeans to match it. Mirrored sunglasses hung from the top of his shirt, dragging it down so Nathan could see a little bit of his chest.

"Hey." Smiled Nathan. "Sorry, I didn't bring flowers or anything." 

"Oh, that's okay." Conor replied, closing the door and standing out beside Nathan. "I'm just glad your here." 

Nathan wanted to shake his head, ask, why the hell would I leave you? But he didn't, he kept his mouth shut and escorted Conor into the car. He opened Conor's door for him, letting out a little laugh when Conor called him out on it.

"I just like-" Nathan cut himself off, not finishing. "I just like hanging out." 

He felt like if he said something too heartfelt, like the three little words he ached to say, he would make Conor uncomfortable like he seemed to do in the change room. He didn't like watching Conor shrug up, wrinkle his nose in the tiniest bit of confusion. He wanted Conor to be comfortable around him, to like everything. And maybe, just maybe, he could get Conor used to the little quirks he had. 

Nathan started up the vehicle, driving him and Conor to the cinema.

"I do like how pretty the beaches are this time of year." Conor commented as Nathan parked in a spot, taking out his keys. 

"Yeah, me too." Smiled Nathan. He didn't understand why he was so shy around Conor, why he couldn't just burst out. Conor seemed different than the other guys. He was so cute and happy all the time, flirty and always ready for a good time. But here, standing with Conor at the entrance to the theatre, it felt different. Conor wasn't acting as he usually was. Like he was shy. 

Like maybe, he was afraid of something.

 

Conor sat through a particularly boring movie. The effects were cheap and the plot was all over the place. But it gave him time to think, think about him and Nathan.

Surely, it was easy to have a future with the man. He was gay, yes, that was true, and he had asked Conor out first. But Conor thought back to the Olympics, when he and Nathan had exchanged handjobs and Conor listened to him talk. Listened to his hoarse voice telling him how hot he was, how badly Nathan wanted him. He felt the sting of bites as Nathan nibbled his neck, leaving subtle marks for days to come.

Then it was over, that tiny spark of maybe engulfed in the chemical water of the pool, setting it aside as a dream. 

The dream that was only awakened now, as Nathan slipped his fingers into the crooks of Conor's and held his hand in a grasp. Conor looked over, meeting Nathan's brown eyes that seemed to smile on their own. 

And he fell in love. 

And they fell in love.

 

It was Nathan who stopped the car in a place that wasn't either of their homes. It was, in fact, the beach, lit up with tall steel street lights. 

"Hey, why are stopping?" Conor asked, voice delicate and quiet in the dark. 

"Follow me." Nathan said, pressing his finger to Conor's lip. He shrugged off his suit jacket, keeping on his t-shirt. He opened the car door before stepping out of his shoes and running off into the sand. 

Conor could've sworn he was half crazy, but the look Nathan shot him when he didn't follow made up for it. He would go to the moon and back to have Nathan just for tonight, all to himself. 

So, he unbuttoned his plaid and took off his shoes, running to where Nathan was now laying, looking at the sky. 

"What are you-" 

"Shh, Conor." Nathan said, looking at him. "Just sit beside me and look up.

Conor sighed in exasperation, laying down beside Nathan, close enough so that their arms were pressed together. He looked at Nathan, them up at the sky.

There, in the dark, he could make out tiny dots of lights that were stars. The outlined the sky, spreading here and there, putting emphasis on the darkness and defining themselves as their own. Some moved, so Conor perceived them to be satellites, just fool stars. 

Conor let out a breath. "Beautiful." 

Nathan turns so he is facing Conor, their noses brushing as Nathan runs his hand up Conor's back. Conor looks into his dark eyes, almost hesitantly, and finds the stars reflecting in them. His lips part and Nathan gets closer.

And they kiss. It's soft and not at all needy, and it's just what Conor wants. Nathan tastes buttery like the popcorn he ate at the theatre, but he also tastes unique, like himself. Conor likes that, likes that he gets to taste Nathan on him. 

It's short, and Nathan pulls away just to ask.

"Is that okay?" He says, running his hand up far enough that it tangles in Conor's hair. Conor's breathing is shaky and he scoots so that he's pressed up to the other man, their hands intertwined as well as their hearts. He nods, once, then dives in to kiss Nathan again. And again. Enough to make up ten months of confused love. 

They do stop, but barely make it back to the car before their toppled over each other again.

"Wanna sleep over?" Conor asks when Nathan is stopped at his house. "We can't do anything bad thought. We have practice tomorrow." Nathan nods absentmindedly. He just wants to be beside Conor, to be around him. He means to much to Nathan and somehow Conor wasn't figuring it out. It was only their first date, but Nathan could say, easily, that he loved the quiet man who stood next to him on the stairs. 

Conor let him in, let him into his bedroom and let him watch as Conor undressed. It was beautiful, he was beautiful, Nathan thought. Conor pulled his shirt off over the curves of his hips, the curve of his shoulders. He pulled his jeans off over his ass, leaving on his boxers. 

And Nathan had nothing else to do but stare. 

Conor turned around, a playful smirk on his lips. Nathan looked up at his face and relaxed his shoulders. Conor walked to the bed, sitting, and then laying down beside the other man.

"I want to to know that I really, really like you." Conor is looking at Nathan, grassy green eyes staring into Nathan's. "And I think that we should take advantage of this, whatever this may be." 

Nathan swallows, and sits up. Conor shuffles over and sits along Nathan's spread thighs, built from the lengthy kick-sets. He gets his fingers into Nathan's dark brown hair, stroking and pulling it between his fingers. Nathan puts his face down in the crook of Conor's neck and pressing a open-mouthed kiss to his Adams Apple.

"I like you too, Conor." Nathan sighs against Conor's neck, liking how the vibration of his voice buzzes into Conor. "I want to make this work."

Nathan took Conor's hips in his hand, laying him down and running his fingers across Conor's chest. Conor lets him, because he likes to melt into the other man. 

"I'll stick with you forever."

"Me too."

And they fell asleep just like that, in Conor's bed, their arms wrapped around each other. The clung onto each other like they were the only thing keeping themselves alive. 

And maybe it was, since Nathan couldn't imagine falling in love with him another way. 

•••

A few weeks later, Conor was at a swim meet, getting post race interviewed. 

"Last question, Mr. Dwyer, and I half to warn you, its kind of personal." 

Conor smiled, shrugged. "That's okay." 

"Are you single?" 

Conor had talked to Nathan before about this question, what they would do, what they would say. They had been on follow up dates and they both felt close to one another, comfortable with one another. 

Conor knew a lot about the other mam. He knew that Nathan liked cuddling and, when hard days came around, Nathan would always hold him. His hands were huge and they could easily cup Conor's hips. 

Just on time, as if Nathan had heard, arms wrapped around Conor's shoulders.

"To answer your question." Nathan said, kissing Conor's cheek as the reporter stood, not knowing what to do. "Conor isn't single, he's taken." 

Conor flushed red, and waved the reporter away, letting Nathan lead him to the warm down pool.

"Get off." He grinned, playfully pushing Nathan off. "Your distracting me." 

Nathan moved and kissed him on the lips. "Alright. I'll go. But come back so we can play cards."

Conor grinned, knowing that he'd made the right choice by coming out to the world.

He loved Nathan, dearly, with all his heart. He knew that no matter what, they could stay together.

Just Nathan and Conor. 

Together as long as the universe would let them. He hoped forever.


End file.
